Beaulieu hoping to get offensive with Canada

Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu did everything he could offensively in his final showing before Hockey Canada trims its roster to the 22 it will be keeping in Alberta for the 2012 World Junior Championship.

After he was done filling the net, he emptied his bag of clichés.

“Tonight was the night to empty the tank,” Beaulieu said. “No excuses. Going into it it’s your last kick at the can. I’ve been dreaming since I was a kid so I wasn’t leaving much out there.”

After running out of one-liners, Beaulieu admitted that if he is one of seven defensemen named to Team Canada, it will be on the merit of what he was able to accomplish offensively in the camp.

More specifically, the power play.

“That’s what I’m hoping and aiming for,” Beaulieu said, adding he has no problem being the team’s seventh defenseman. “Power play is one of the things I try to feed off of and one of the reasons I think I’m here.”

Still, Beaulieu wasn’t disappointed with his play on the other side of the puck.

“I thought it was good,” the Montreal Canadiens prospect said. “I don’t play a huge defensive role on my team so it was tough to adapt at first. I’m happy with my defensive play.”

Though he said he wouldn’t reflect too much on his play in camp – something he obviously is unable to change at this point, it’s going to take a long time for him to calm his nerves and get some rest – if he’s able to at all.

“It’s not going to be a lot of sleep tonight. It’s going to be a sleepless night.”